DQ WINNING APPLIANCES COVER SHOOT – BEHIND THE SCENES

Focusing on the company’s recent re-brand, the photo shoot for the DQ#54 cover was a creative exploration of the Winning Appliance brand, resulting in a dynamic, imaginative image. We go behind the scenes to speak with DQ Editor, Sophia Watson, about the process of conceptualising and executing the shoot.

What was the concept for the photoshoot and what was the original brief?

This was a tough one to crack. It was the first cover we’ve done that didn’t focus on one particular product or object – in fact, the brief was entirely the opposite. Because Winning’s has an amazing collection of brands under its roof, they didn’t want to showcase one over the other, rather, look at creating a visual representation of the brands new direction and focus.

Here, our Art Director Christopher Holt (HOLT Design) came up with the idea to draw a link between Winnings and the art world, i.e. the work of renowned French-modernist Jeanne-Claude Christo. The idea was to imitate this artistic iconography in a move to create a kind of museum or gallery environment; suggesting that Winning Appliances is a well-curated space for high-end, famous European brands – much like a gallery or museum.

How did the nature of Winning Appliance’s product influence the shoot and concept?

Again, we were challenged by not being able to focus on a particular brand, however we still wanted to showcase the Winnings’ product offering. So we worked closely with the Winnings team in selecting key products from their best selling categories (ovens, fridges and washing machines) based on iconic and recognizable shapes, rather than brands.

What was the collaboration with Winning Appliances like?

It was so refreshing to work with such a passionate and creative team. The Winning vision is a strong one; they know who they are and how they want their brand communicated in the market. Having such strong ideals made it really easy to understand the direction of the company, and in turn, the direction the concept should take. Were there any unexpected challenges/opportunities?

Wrapping appliances in calico was certainly not something i would have thought was in my wheelhouse, but as it turns out, wrapping a fridge, and oven and a washing machine was surprisingly easy. A bit of rope, safety pins and double-sided tape and we were in business! The execution process is always made easier by Tim and the team at Patrick Jones Studio. They have all sorts of weird and wonderful solutions for everything! Makes our job really simple.

What was the most rewarding part of the shoot/development process?

The outcome is always a buzz, but seeing a concept grow and develop from inside your head onto a piece of paper then sitting physically in front of you is pretty amazing. It’s quite interesting to compare your original idea to what you end up with; I am always completely blown away with our what we are capable of as a team.